Next month Jonathan Carley will appear in court in Carmarthen, charged with wearing military uniform without permission. This charge comes after a man purporting to be a Rear Admiral was pictured at a Remembrance Sunday service in Llandudno while wearing an impressive row of medals. One was Britain’s highest awards for gallantry – a Distinguished Service Order.

This case of alleged ‘stolen valour’ highlights an odd loophole in the law. While it is illegal to wear military uniform if not serving in the armed forces, there is no current criminal sanction for wearing unearned medals. A previous legislative attempt to deal with this issue failed. Parliament should act again.

Stolen valour involves ‘falsely claiming military service, rank or medallic recognition’. Imposters fall into two main categories: those who have never served in the military, colloquially known as Walter Mittys (or Walts), and real veterans who exaggerate their service, known as bloaters. Other printable terms include ‘fake warriors’, ‘military phonies’, ‘medal cheats’ and ‘military posers’. The internet has made access by imposters to medals and militaria easier. Their exposure has become more common with the growth of social media.

Motivations for this behaviour are complicated and at times sad. Some individuals seek personal gain to impress employers, achieve promotion, or solicit charity donation. Others desire........

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